Temperance
Temperance is a middle aged stallion who was the leader of the ill-fated Duskfields expedition, sent along with nine others: Flamberge, Crosshair, Case Study, Wood Chips, Veneer, Smoothblock, Cream Puff, Maize and Holly). His expedition was sent to find and establish themselves on new arable land at the end of 268. By early 269, they had set up Duskfields on a plot of land far from Coupledye, and unbeknownst to most, within discordant pony territory. Like his older sister Virtue, he is friendly and selfless. However, he is not as outgoing and prefers to keep to himself, which fostered a workaholic attitude that kept him more distant from the other ponies in Duskfields. He doesn't get discouraged easily though, and despite everything working against him he poured his life into achieving his life goal of becoming baron. Though he succeeded it cost him everything. Life History At the very end of 272, Temperance was murdered by Flamberge. Prior Life Temperance was born in Coupledye several years after his sister, the second and last foal to be born of his father Ward and mother Faith. With his older sister for company, he had a happy and carefree foalhood. As the two grew older, things began to take a downward turn in his relationship with Virtue. She was very intelligent and sociable, leading her to excel in most things she tried and leaving Temperance with the feeling that he was being eclipsed by her. Though he still loved and cared about her, the two began to grow apart by their early teens. He found an outlet for his frustrations in the temples his mother served at. While Virtue showed no interest in spending time there, he took up more and more duties in the temples, hoping to earn a niche of his own. did he get his cutie mark? After Virtue left on her expedition to Dawnpick, Temperance spent less time in the temples in an attempt to fill the void left by her. For a few years he worked in various clerical jobs, which he found he excelled at and enjoyed more than his time learning to be a priest. He secretly pined to attempt an expedition like Virtue, but as no opportunities came, he settled into a mundane life. Upon hearing that Virtue had been elevated to nobility for her success in Dawnpick, he found himself once again eclipsed by her, and much to his own dismay, resenting her for her success. She had a loving family of her own, an entire wealthy town to her name and the title of baroness. Nearly a decade later, his temper had cooled and he had given up any hope of achieving what she had. Naturally, he leapt upon the opportunity when a letter arrived from the king asking him to lead an expedition... Life in Duskfields Temperance married Morning Dew after a lot of lols in ???, and had three children during his life. He was elevated to baron in 272 and promptly murdered over it by Flamberge. His second daughter, Reverence, was born after his death. Physical Description Temperance is a short and unimpressive stallion. His coat is a nearly white gray, and he has a long and wavy brown mane and tail. His cutie mark is an open scroll, symbolizing his clerical and religious knowledge. Though he would never admit it, he cares quite a bit about his appearance, and spends a surprising amount of time grooming. Personality Like his sister, Temperance was raised to be friendly and trusting. While he tries to be empathic and outgoing, he doesn't do a particularly good job at it and prefers to keep to himself. He is loving with his family, but doesn't show outward expressions of it as much as others. He believes in giving everypony a chance, and like Virtue, is perhaps too trusting. Unlike her, he is frequently pessimistic. He is highly driven by duty and responsibility however, and this fueled his struggles to pull Duskfields together and to turn it into a productive farming community. Temperance likes to maintain order above nearly all else, and though he wouldn't admit it to even himself, he enjoys having power. Achieving nobility was perhaps his most prominent goal in life: partially because he wanted to prove he was as good as Virtue and partially because of the power that came with it. As a result of this, he was frequently nervous and worried about how his grasp of Duskfields began to slip very early on. Flamberge exercised much more authority than he expected, and the two butted heads on occasion (invariably leading to Temperance giving in). When Convalescence was voted in as mayor over him, he felt a pang of betrayal by the citizens of Duskfields, and believed he had thrown away his only chance at achieving anything. He was proven wrong when he was rewarded in 272 with the position of baron over the new barony of Duskfields. Having achieved his goal, Temperance was elated and grew complacent, which ended in him being murdered by somepony he shouldn't have trusted: Flamberge. Skills Temperance is intelligent and very skilled with organization, making him a natural at managing the town of Duskfields. He is better at managing materials than ponies, leading to a bit of wasted time and effort, but overall the productivity of Duskfields was a testament to his abilities. Physically, Temperance is much less impressive. He is small by stallion standards, which is something he is a bit self conscious about. A lack of exercise has also led to poor stamina and strength, and he's not particularly good with his hooves. Though he had a fair sized family by the time of his death, he never considered himself to be a very good husband or father. He spent too much time working, leaving Morning Dew to care for their children most of the time. He absolutely cannot cook.